I had lunch with a client last week who was just diagnosed with Leukemia.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of that lately.  Maybe it’s just the stage of life that I’m in.  During my 20s it seemed like every other week I got invited to a wedding.  Now it seems like every other week I hear of another client, friend or family member who is facing a physical, emotional, or financial challenge that they hadn’t expected when they got out of bed that morning.

This has been a good reminder for me that you don’t always get to choose your path in life.  Sometimes our well laid plans and best intentions are derailed by the unexpected.

My wish for you is that you live a long, healthy, happy life, but what if it doesn’t work out that way?  Rather than saving the best for last and deferring your dreams to a far off date (i.e. retirement), what are you doing to live a full life right now?  My advice to you is to be intentional with each new day.  Do meaningful work.  Spend quality time with friends and family.  Repair broken relationships.  Seek out fun and adventure.  Learn new things.  Visit new places.  Take risks.

Yes, you should save, invest and plan.  That will allow you to continue to live life to the full for as many days as you’re given.  But what a tragedy it would be if all that planning was in vain.  As Dr. Wayne Dyer once said, “Don’t die with your music still inside you.”  Take this one life that you’ve been given and use it to do what brings you joy and purpose.   You don’t need to wait until 65 to start.  Start today.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Joe

Photo courtesy of Shannon K.  Used under Creative Commons License.